Connecting means for lighting fixture louver frames



July 10, 1951 M. H. KRUGER 5 CONNECTING MEANS FOR LIGHTING FIXTURE LOUVER FRAMES Filed J1me 11, 1948 INVENTOR MICH HENRY KRUGER ATTORN EY Patented July 10, 1951 CONNECTING MEANS FOR LIGHTING FIXTURE LOUVER FRAMES Michael Henry Kruger, Malden, Mass., assignor to A. L. Smith Iron Company, Chelsea, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 11, 1948, Serial No. 32,335

8 Claims. (Cl. 24051.11)

This invention relates to light distributing frames of lighting fixtures in general, and more especially to improved connecting means for the light distributing frames of lighting fixtures.

Among the objects of the present invention, it is aimed to provide an improved connecting means for a lighting fixture whereby a light distributing frame, such as an egg crate louver frame, may with facility be raised into connected and suspended position without the manipulation of any fastening means such as screws or the like. It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved connecting means for a lighting fixture whereby a light distributing frame such as an egg crate louver frame equipped with hooks may with facility be raised into cooperation with a pivotally mounted anchoring means, such as loops, hooks and the like, so that sufficient flexibility is provided to facilitate the ready assembly of both ends of a frame into suspended position and in turn also to facilitate the removal of one end after another of a frame when dismantling the same.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the invention will appear from the subjoined detail description of specific embodimerits thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a lighting fixture.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental-perspective of the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 1, with the louver frame in full lines before entering one of the connecting loops.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective detail similar to Fig. 2 showing the louver frame in full lines after entering one of the connecting loops.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are enlarged fragmcntal perspectives of three other embodiments.

In Fig. 1, there is illustrated a lighting fixture constituting a main frame such as disclosed in my co-pending application, Ser. No. 32,334, filed simultaneously herewith, including two inclined main side plates I and 2 connected to one another by the end plates 3 and 4.

Near the outer lower ends of the side plates I and 2 of the main frame, and to the inner faces thereof, there are secured the supporting plates 5 and 6 having hinge sleeves l constituting pivotal connections to pivotally receive the closed loops 8 constituting brackets preferably composed of wire or the like, the sleeves 1 extending longitudinally or parallel with the outer edges of the side plates l and 2 so that the loops 8 and therefore the supporting bars of said loops 8 may swing to and from the outer edges of the side plates l and 2.

The egg crate louver frame 9, particularly adapted for connecting relation with the loops -8, consists. of intersecting vertically extending plate members formed by the longitudinally extending louvers If! and the transversely extending louvers I l intersecting the louvers H3 and being connected thereto. 7

Preferably as shown, at each corner of the frame 9 the outermost transverse louvre H has formed in the same the recesses 12, each of which in outline enclose an inwardly extending projection or hook formation 13, a depression I4 therebelow, an inwardly, upwardly inclined cam edge l5, and an inner vertically extending edge it. The formation of each of the recesses I2 is the same not only for the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, but also for the embodiments illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. V

The embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4 differs from the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 primarily in that the pivotally mounted member I! instead of being an endless rectangular wire loop, such as the loop 8, there is formed into a one-legged loop.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5 in turn, the pivotally mounted member [8 has curved side limbs l9 so'as to clear the longitudinally extending louver 20 should a' longitudinallyextending louver be disposed outwardlyof the transversely extending louver 2 l. In the embodiment of Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seen that a longitudinally extending louver I0 is not disposed outwardly of the recess [2.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 6 in turn, instead of the wire loop '8 of Fig. 2, there is provided a stamping 22 having its crosspiece 23 rockably mounted in the sleeve 24 of the plate 25 and the two side limbs 26 and 2? continue in the .cross Web 2-8 which has a concave inner lower edge 29, and a concave outer lower edge 30. The

concave inner lower edge 29 is provided to center the hook portion 3| When receiving the same, and the concave outer edge 30 is provided to cooperate not only with the outer downwardly extending cam edge 32 of the hook portion 3| but also with the inclined cam edge 33 of the recess 34 to guide the loop 22 into position under the hook portion 3 l.

The upper outer cam edge 35 of the hook portion l3 also cooperates with the lower edge of the loop 8, in turn to direct it into engagement with the cam edge l5 of the recess l2. Although the mechanism speaks for itself, it may be desirable here to point out that when connecting the louver frame 9 of the embodiment of Figs. 1, 2

and 3, one side is first raised so that the hook portions 13 enter into the two loops 8 extending .from the lower end portion of the side wall 2 as an instance. Thereupon the other side of the frame 9 is raised until each of the cam edges 35 of the nose or projection l3 on each end engages the lower 'cro'sspiece 38 of loop 8, see the full line position of the loop '8 and louver frame 9 in Fig. 2. Thereupon as that side of the frame 9 is further raised, it will first deflect the loop 1 8 to one side into the dash and dot line position shown in Fig. 2, and thereupon the crosspiece 36 will engage the cam edge l5 of the recess l2 and guide the loop '8 under the hook portion 13 so that when the side of the frame 9 is then lowered, the hook portion l3 will reecive the crosspiece 36 of the loop 8 and rest on the same in the position shown in Fig. 3.

Both of the embodiments shown in Figs. i and 6 will operate substantially identical to the manner just described with the exception that the concave edges 29 anad 39 will serve to center the nose 3! when cooperating with the same. The embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5 only differs to the extent that the loop I8 may be used when a longitudinal louver, such as louver 20, is disposed outside of the hook portion 31. when the arcuate arms [9 of the loop l8 will clear the same while the crosspiece 38 moves into or out of anchoring relation with the loop i8.

It is obvious that various changes and modifi-cations may be made to the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Iclaim:

1. In a lighting fixture, the combination .of a main frame, brackets, pivotal connections for pivotally connecting the brackets to the main frame, the brackets having crosspieces spaced from the pivotal connections of the brackets with "the main frame and to that extent movable relative to said main frame, a light distributing frame having vertically extending plate members, said members having recesses formed therein initially extending downward, then inclining and finally extending upward to form hooksand oppositely disposed inclined cam edges to en'- able the crosspieces to be guided by said cam edges into hanging cooperation with said hooks wherlsaid light distributing frame 'is raised into engagement with said 'cros'spieces, one of said cam edges being formed on the outer edge of an adjacent hook and the other cam edge being positioned adjacent to, but spaced from, the end of such adjacent hook.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which the outer faces of said hooks are inclined and constituting one of said cam edges initially to cooperate with said crosspiece to direct them toward said other cam edges.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said light distributing frame consists of an egg crate louver frame and the vertically extending members consist of the louvers of said frame.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said brackets consist of wire loops and the c'rosspieces consist of portions of said loops.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said brackets consist of wire loops, the crosspieces consist of portions of said loops, and the side portions of the loops are deflected to clear adjacent portions of said light distributing frame.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said brackets consist of wire loops, the crosspieces consist of portions of said loops, and the side portions of the loops are arcuate to'clear adjacent louvers of said louver frame.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said brackets consist of metal stampings having a lower web which is concave both in its upper and lower outline to facilitate centering the hook portions relative to said brackets.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said brackets consist of one-legged wire loops.

MICHAEL HENRY KRUGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date a D. 117,643 Stewart Nov. 14, 1939 1,820,429 Bohan Aug. 25, 1 931 2,364,992 Maurette Dec. 12, 1944 2,392,306 Biller Jan. 8, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 32,216 Norway Mar. 15, 1934 

